


Karma's Got A Kiss For You

by the-noble-idiot (1004_Angel)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Based on a scene from Shadowhunters, Black Paladin Keith (Voltron), Canon Compliant, First Kiss, I basically plucked out those Seelies and made them aliens whoops, Karma's a bitch, M/M, Post-Quantum Abyss, Red Paladin Lance (Voltron), Seelie Court, Shadowhunter AU, they just needed a push
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-15
Updated: 2018-10-15
Packaged: 2019-07-29 12:08:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16263908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1004_Angel/pseuds/the-noble-idiot
Summary: Up and down it all comes back aroundpush and shove do you feel better nowknock knock knockit all comes tumblin’ downkarma’s got a kiss for youA trip to the planet Seelia to secure an alliance with a species of fae folk goes awry when the Queen reveals someone's deceit, and won’t let them leave until the truth is revealed. A birthday gift for madness-and-brilliance.





	Karma's Got A Kiss For You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [madnessandbrilliance](https://archiveofourown.org/users/madnessandbrilliance/gifts).



> Time zones suck butt but its your birthday where I am SO HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY LOVE. THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE LESS THAN 5K BUT YOU DESERVE THE BEST ILY
> 
> Dear everyone, go follow Ivy as @madness-and-brilliance on tumblr and @Loverboyklance on twitter please do yourselves a favor
> 
> Thanks to @pidge46049697 on twitter for helping out and being an overall beautiful human being <3
> 
> Also I'm on twitter now too as @shallweklance if you wanna get more from me than just reblogs on tumblr ^^
> 
> Title from Dua Lipa, Room For 2 (tbh I've been waiting to use this as a title for something for two years)

 

 

Keith trusts his instincts. They have never steered him wrong before. Krolia had implied during their time on the space whale, where Keith learned more about his Galra blood, that his strong instincts were indeed the result of his Galra heritage.  _ Predictive instincts,  _ Krolia had said. Anticipating any number of outcomes when in a high-stress situation.

So when Allura announces the next stop on their journey to convince more planets to join the coalition, Keith gets a bad feeling in his gut. A heavy weight settles in his chest, making his breathing slightly labored even has he exudes his natural aura of calm and collected. Lance, on the other hand…

“A whole planet full of fairies!” he cheers, pumping his fists and doing a little dance right in the middle of the control center. “This has got to be a dream come true!”

“Indeed, it is a planet full of fairies,” Allura confirms, “but do not think them to be like your Earth children’s tales. The Seelies are truth seekers, and truth believers. They do not tolerate lies and deceit.”

“That sounds like an Earth fairy to me,” Hunk muses. “All glittery and sparkly and manifestations of all the good in the world, like Tinker Bell!”

“I don’t know of this Tinker Bell,” Allura continues, her brow furrowed. “But will she strangle you with vines if you lie to her?”

There it is. The reason Keith’s nerves are on edge.

Hunk swallows. “Uh, no. She probably wouldn’t do that.”

Coran pipes up from his usual control panel. “The Seelies are ancient creatures, even older than Altea! And it’s said that the Seelie Queen has been alive since the beginning of the universe itself! Why, my grandfather—”

“There’s no way that’s possible,” Pidge interrupts before Coran can take off on his tangent. “That was billions upon billions of years ago.”

“Coran and I were frozen for ten thousand Earth years,” Allura points out. “And Keith aged two years in the Quantum Abyss. It’s not so strange to imagine.”

“It is, actually,” Pidge mutters, but lets the subject drop.

“I’ve already established contact with the Seelie Queen,” Allura continues, tapping a few fingers on her holopad. “She has agreed to meet us, but we may only bring two paladins, and come unarmed. There is no war on Seelia.”

“So that means Keith’s out,” Lance grins. “Dude doesn’t go anywhere without his trusty knife. Swear I saw him in the shower with it once.”

Keith sighs. “I don’t wear it in the shower, Lance.”

“Not foolin’ me, buddy.”

“Boys,” Shiro says in his parent-voice. Keith crosses his arms and turns away from Lance, who sticks his tongue out at him. Real mature.

“Now, onto the matter of who goes down to Seelia,” Shiro redirects the conversation back on topic.

“I’d like to volunteer to  _ not  _ go down to Seelia,” Hunk raises his hand. “I’d rather not get strangled with vines.”

“Allura should definitely be one to go,” Pidge reasons. “She doesn’t have a lying bone in her body.”

Allura nods her consent with a shy smile. “I was hoping to go, actually. The Alteans and the Seelies had a strong alliance before the war.”

“So Allura, and who else should go?”

The group whispers and murmurs as they try to decide on the second member. Suggestions are tossed around, like Keith, or Shiro, or Pidge, but it’s not until Shiro speaks up that they realize the correct choice all along.

“I think Lance should go as well,” Shiro announces, startling everyone into silence, even Lance himself. The look on his face is utter bewilderment, his mouth slightly ajar and eyes widened as he whips his head around to face Shiro. The Clone Shiro that the team had known for the last several months had been cold and dismissive towards Lance, so now to hear him entrusting a delicate mission to him?

“Shiro--” Lance starts, but Shiro cuts him off.

“Lance is a gifted speaker, and his charm plus Allura’s diplomacy and history with the Seelies make a good combination.” Shiro is firm in his reasoning, and the quiet murmurs among the other Paladins seem to confirm what he already knew; Lance is an obvious choice.

“I second that,” Keith says, surprising Lance even more. Lance lets out a weird gurgling sound as his head whips around from Shiro to Keith. Keith just shrugs at Lance’s apparent obliviousness to his own talents. He shouldn’t have to elaborate on his reasoning.

“Lance?” Allura places a hand on Lance’s shoulder, and Keith quickly quenches the hot fire of jealousy in his gut with a power hose. “Will you come to Seelia with me?”

Lance regains control of himself, clearing his throat. “Uh, yeah. Yeah, sure, if you guys think I’d actually be of any use.”

“Go,” Keith says, once again drawing Lance’s attention. “Be great.”

Lance’s face breaks out into a wide smile. “Okay,” he says. “I will.”

“Excellent!” Allura claps her hands together. “It’s decided. The Seelies are expecting us in a couple varga, so go get ready and meet me down by the pods.”

“Sounds good,” Lance says, and the meeting disbands. Hunk and Pidge pat Lance on the back before heading down to the engineering room to continue tinkering on their latest project. Shiro and Allura pair off to discuss the logistics of the negotiation. Keith turns to get a few rounds in with the gladiator, but is stopped briefly by a hand on his arm.

“Hey, Keith,” Lance says, his voice quiet, shy, and totally unlike his normal boisterous self. His eyes are averted.

“What is it, Lance? You should be getting ready to go to Seelia.”

“I just wanted to say… thanks.” Lance looks up to meet Keith’s gaze. “Thanks for thinking I should be on this mission.”

Keith just smiles and pats Lance on the shoulder. “No problem. I know you’ll do fine.”

Lance grins.

* * *

Keith  _ was  _ heading down to the pod hangar to see Lance and Allura off, but stops behind a few crates when he hears the conversation going on between the blue and red paladins.

“I don’t think I should be on this mission, Allura,” Lance is saying, voice tinged with doubt. “Why isn’t Shiro going? He’s much better at this kind of thing.”

“The Seelie Queen specifically requested Paladins, which Shiro is no longer,” Allura explains kindly. “And for what it is worth, Lance, I think your presence on this mission will help you realize just how valuable you are to the team. We can’t do this without you, Lance.”

“But--”

“Believe you can, and all will be right in the end,” Allura assures him. “Come on, the Queen is waiting for us.”

Keith makes a impulsive decision.

“I’m going too.” Keith makes himself known right before Lance and Allura climb into the pod. Allura startles, but Lance outright screeches, losing his grip on the edge of the pod and falling backwards. Keith takes the extra steps forward to stabilize him, Lance’s back pressing against his chest. Keith gets a mouthful of brown hair, and he’s thankful that Lance can’t see his face with how red it probably is right now.

“Jesus, Mullet, don’t scare me like that!” Lance shudders.

Keith adjusts his grip until Lance is standing straight again, eager to get his hands off Lance before he does something he regrets. “Not my fault you still scare like a bird.”

“I resent that.”

“What did you say before Keith?” Allura asks, joining them. “You’re coming too?”

Keith nods sharply. “I’m the Black Paladin,” he says logically. “I should be the one heading down there too.”

Not that they need to know that Keith doesn’t trust this planet or its inhabitants one bit and he doesn’t like sending La -- them down alone. No, they definitely don’t need to know that.

“Never thought I’d see the day Keith actually agrees to a negotiation meeting,” Lance mutters, quietly but not unheard. Keith glares.

“Keith, I would love to have you along,” Allura says. “But the Seelie Queen requested only two people, so Lance and I--”

“I know what the Queen said, and I don’t care.” Keith makes his voice firmer. “I’m coming.”

Allura looks worried, and Lance… Keith can’t read him at all. His face is a blank slate, his eyes flicking between Keith and Allura like he can’t decide whose opinion he’d rather endorse. Keith keeps his eyes on Allura; he doesn’t trust himself not to blurt out the actual reason he wants to go down to Seelia - Lance’s moral support - if Lance keeps looking at him like that.

Allura sucks on her bottom lip. Keith doesn't miss the flash of Lance’s eyes toward that movement, and he beats back the ugly feeling in his gut with a stick. “We’re nearing the Seelie Queen’s deadline,” she says finally. “And I know there’s no changing your mind. So get in, Keith. We should hope that the Seelie Queen does not take this defiance of her invitation in insult.”

“Keep your mouth shut and let Allura and I do the talking,” Lance says pointedly toward Keith. “You’re the leader but we all know you don’t have the way with words that Allura and I do.”

Keith shrugs. “Fair enough.”

Lance blinks, like he wasn't expecting Keith to actually agree with him, before scowling and hopping into the pilot’s seat. Keith sits in the back while Allura takes front, and then the three of them are flying out of the castle hangar and down towards the glowing planet below.

* * *

They land the pod in a small, designated clearing a mile from the Seelie Queen’s court. Keith can’t keep back the look of wonderment on his face as he and the rest of their party disembark. Seelia is like stepping into some kind of enchanted forest. The trees are rimmed in gold, glowing in the dim sun. The little wildlife they see are covered in bright, vibrant colors that catch the light and cast prisms of rainbows across every surface. A thin layer of soft moss covers every surface, the greens, golds, and browns almost blinding.

Lance does a three sixty turn, his mouth agape and eyes wide as he takes in their surroundings. The light reflects across the tips of his hair and looks like he is some kind of ethereal creature of the forest, a fairy himself. Keith allows himself ten seconds of blatant staring before Lance almost catches him.

“It’s even more beautiful than I remember,” Allura whispers, a soft smile on her face.

“I just want to stay here forever,” Lance agrees.

“Which direction is the Queen’s court,” Keith interrupts.

The other two glare at him, supposedly for ruining the mood, but Keith just levy's an eyebrow at them until Allura gives in. “You’re right, Keith,” she says. “We should get moving if we want to make it to the court on time. The Seelies are not affectionate to stragglers.”

“First lying, and now straggling,” Lance interlocks his fingers behind the back of his neck. “What do these guys  _ not  _ hate?”

“Strangling prisoners with vines or sending them into the carnivorous trees to be dissolved alive.”

Lance pales a little. “Oh.”

“The court is in this direction,” Allura says, and gestures in some random direction. “We must make haste but be careful not to touch the trees. Carnivorous trees are difficult to identify so we must be vigilant. Also, when we arrive in the Queen’s court, do not eat anything offered to you. And whatever you do… do not lie. The Seelies are tricksters, and will try anything to reveal the truth even if they detect the smallest white lie. They are not to be trusted.”

“Sounds easy enough,” Lance says with a small curve of his mouth but Keith can tell Allura’s warnings are not doing anything for Lance’s confidence in his role during this mission.

Keith presses a hand against Lance’s shoulder in solidarity. Lance accepts the gesture with a more genuine smile.

“Follow me,” Allura says, and then they’re off.

Keith had been concerned about clearing away the foliage to make room for a path, but he needn't have worried. The enormous gold-gilded leaves shiver and move on their own, out of their path as their small party approaches. Keith looks behind and sees that they move back into place behind them. The mossy floor absorbs their footsteps, so the only sounds around them are the rustling of leaves and the occasional bird call.

Conversation is scarce as they walk. Lance travels in the middle of their group, and tries to fill the void of silence with varied results. Allura chimes in every few minutes from the front but Keith remains silent in the back, keeping his head on a swivel. He can’t shake the feeling that they’re being watched, though whether it’s by a Seelie scout or some kind of predator he can’t tell.

At one point on their journey Lance trips on a protruding root. With a soft yelp he throws his hands forward, catching himself on the trunk of a tree. Remembering what Allura had said about identifying carnivorous trees, Keith’s blood goes ice cold as he snags the end of Lance’s shirt and yanks him back before anything happens. They wait with baited breath, but when the tree remains unmoving, they all let out sighs of relief.

“Eugh,” Lance says, turning his palms right side up. Spots of black and grey litter his skin, the crushed exoskeleton of some kind of beetle. He wipes the remains off on a larger leaf and cleans the rest off with a few pours from their water bottle.

“It’s not much farther now,” Allura promises, correctly. Fifteen minutes later sees the trio emerge into a clearing not unlike the one they landed in, but much larger. And instead of being empty, massive gates made of vines rise from the ground, curling and intersecting with one another into intricate designs. On either side stands a humanoid guard, the first of the Seelies they have come across.

One steps forward. The Seelie’s face is thin, with high cheekbones and pointed ears that reminds Keith strongly of Alteans. His dark hair is long, pulled up into a braid that wraps around his head, secured in place with a bright red root and other flora weaved into the strands. He wears what Keith assumes must pass for armor on this planet; large pieces of bark that act as breastplates and arm guards and intricately woven grass-type plant as chain mail. He carries no visible weapon, but Keith gets the feeling this guy might not even need one.

“When Allura said ‘fairies’ I was definitely imagining more Tinker Bell and Pixie Hollow,” Lance murmurs next to Keith, who cracks a smile.

“Princess Allura of Altea,” the Seelie says, voice low and melodic. “The Queen is expecting you.”

“It is an honor to be received into the Seelie Court,” Allura says, touching her thumb and index fingers to her nose and center of her forehead in a greeting. Keith and Lance copy the gesture.

The Seelie guard smiles, and waves his hand. The vine gate shudders, and then begins to recede back into the ground with the sound of disturbed earth. He guides Keith, Lance, and Allura inside; Keith registers that the gates have closed (regrown?) behind them, and tries not to think about how they are essentially trapped inside the court.

The Seelie guard leads them into the court hall, past groups of lingering Seelies, who cease whatever they had been doing to watch their odd group pass. Keith glares at them in warning, but all they do is giggle. Allura keeps her eyes forward, but Lance is winking and flashing those stupid finger guns at every Seelie he sees. The fairies giggle even louder at that, their voices ringing like tiny bells. Lance preens at their reactions, running a hand through his hair in what he correctly thinks is a flirtatious gesture. Keith averts his eyes.

They pass under a large archway made of root and stone, and emerge into what must be the throne room… er, clearing. There are no walls or ceiling to mark the boundaries of the room, except for the natural flora of the forest itself. There are even more Seelies here, but the one that stands out the most is a small child, probably no older than twelve, seated on the stone steps of a small raised dais in the very center of the clearing.

She looks up as the three approach, her golden eyes flicking from one paladin to the next. Keith gets the impression that she is looking straight into their souls. The Seelie guard stops and kneels before the child, bowing his head and repeating the Seelie gesture of greeting. Keith, Lance and Allura follow suit. The child stands slowly and moves down the dais, her translucent robes sweeping against the grass. As she stops in front of them, Keith sees that she’s not wearing any shoes.

“My Queen,” The Seelie guard says, standing. “The Paladins of Voltron.”

“Wait, I thought Coran said the Seelie Queen is as old as the universe,” Lance murmurs, quiet but still loud enough to be clearly understood, pinching his eyebrows. “She doesn’t look any older than my niece.”

The Seelie Queen turns her golden eyes on Lance. Her face, framed by locks of hair the color of autumn leaves, is heavily made up in golds, reds, and pinks, sparkling as if bathed in glitter as she turns her face towards the light peeking through the canopy. “I have no control over the rumors,” she says, her voice soft and light. It carries an intonation that sounds similar to Allura’s own accent, only adding to the air of regality. “I only control what I deem worthy of my time.” 

She turns her eyes to Keith next. “I thought I only asked for two paladins,” she says, her statement open-ended and slightly accusatory.

“Keith insisted on joining us, Your Highness,” Lance explains, shooting Keith a look that Keith returns equally. “There was no changing his mind.”

The Seelie Queen does not move her gaze as Lance speaks, her eyes fixed on Keith. Keith tries not to fidget, keeping his face as stoic as possible. “I hoped that I might provide input, as the Paladin of the Black Lion and leader of Voltron,” he says. It’s not technically a lie, but it’s not the whole truth either. Admitting that he came because he doesn’t trust them wouldn’t bode well for their negotiations. Keith hopes that it’s enough to convince the Seelie Queen to let him stay.

She considers his response. Then, “Very well,” she says, and turns to the guard. “Prepare a meal for our guests.”

“Oh that’s not necessary,” Allura tries, but the Queen stops her with a look.

“It is rude for us not to provide for our guests,” she says, dangerously sweet.

Allura concedes immediately. “I suppose, I would not refuse.”

“Excellent.” The Queen smiles.

Thirty minutes later Keith finds himself in a different part of the Court, closer to the main gate through which they had entered. He sits at a long table, an enormous feast stretched out in front of him. Meticulously prepared dishes of various roots and alien vegetables that he knows would make Hunk regret not coming. Lance says as much.

“If only Hunk could see this,” he says from his seat beside Keith, eyes flicking from dish to dish with a look Keith sees on Wolf when he hasn’t been fed yet.

“We can’t eat any of the food,” Keith reminds him.

“I  _ know  _ that, Mullethead,” Lance snickers. “Doesn’t mean I can’t feast with my other senses.”

“What does that even mean?”

“Hunk always says that food should please the eyes as well as the palate,” Lance closes his eyes and inhales deeply. “Pleases my nose too.”

Keith rolls his eyes. “You’re a dork.”

“And you’re a stubborn asshole but you don’t hear me complaining.”

“Lance--!”

“I see you are enjoying yourselves,” The Seelie Queen interrupts, seated at the head of the table. Lance and Keith look up from their bickering to see the Queen watching them closely, the corner of her mouth turned up into a half smile.

Lance clears his throat. “Very much, Your Highness,” he says with a low bow of his head. “Everything looks delicious.”

“Do try and eat,” the Queen offers. “I would hate for this food to go to waste.”

“With pleasure,” Allura says, though she doesn’t move to take a bite. “Now, about the coalition...”

“About that,” the Queen says airily, “Seelia has managed to maintain its freedom from war by always picking the winning side. We provide what is required with no resistance in exchange for freedom from occupation. This is the Seelie way, and it has worked well for us. What makes the coalition believe they have surpassed the Galra in their fruitless desperation for universal control?”

“Your Highness, if you are as ancient and wise as the rumors say, then surely you must know that the Galra are not on the winning side,” Allura begins. “This war is turning around; with Zarkon dead and Lotor missing, the Empire is falling apart. It is apparent that the Empire is no longer the winning side. Not when Voltron is here.”

The discussion continues in such a manner for the next varga and a half. Keith offers his opinion when he sees an opening but he mostly allows Allura and Lance to do the negotiating. Lance was right when he said Keith doesn’t have a diplomatic bone in his body; he doesn’t trust himself to hold his tongue when the Queen refuses to cease playing devil’s advocate.

“The Seelies have much to gain from joining the coalition,” Allura wraps up her spiel. “Voltron can provide you with a number of connections, resources, and of course, protection from Galra invasion.”

The Seelie Queen inclines her head, her expression amusedly intrigued. “The Seelies do not seek war, nor do we host it,” she says carefully. “But I admit, Princess Allura, Sir Lance, that your arguments have swayed me.” She stands from the table, the others following suit. “Very well. The Seelies will join your coalition.” 

“Your decision is as wise as you are beautiful,” Lance smiles, reaching out to bring forth the Seelie Queen’s hand so that he may kiss it. The Queen appears flattered.

“The Paladins of Voltron thank you for continuing the fight against the Galra,” Allura says, giving the Seelie gesture once again.

Keith looks between the others gathered around the table, admittedly a little jealous of their ability with words. He can’t help the relaxed smile; he wasn’t expecting the Seelies to agree to anything regarding the coalition, but Allura and Lance  _ actually  _ managed to convince her to join.

“We must return to the Castleship,” Allura continues. “We will return in haste with the coalition paperwork.”

“Very well.”

“We’ll get going then,” Keith says, and turns to lead his team back toward the exit. Allura and Lance gesture with fingers against nose and forehead once more before following.

“Before you leave, Paladins, there is something else I want.”

Allura, Lance, and Keith stop, turning back to look at the Queen where she had spoken from. Her robes glided across her bare feet as she took a few steps around the table.

“What can--” Lance begins, but then a gravelly sound echoes in the air around them. Like piles of rocks and clumps of dirt being disturbed by a shovel. There is barely any time to react before vines, the same species that form the entryway to the Seelie Court, spring from the earth and wrap themselves around Lance and Allura’s feet and ankles. There are, quite literally, rooted to the ground.

“What the--?” Lance cries, trying to yank his feet from the vines but it only serves to make him lose his balance. He pitches forward and only barely manages to steady himself again, arms spread to either side. “What the actual quiznack?”

“I don’t understand, what is happening??” Allura echoes Lance’s frantic yanking, using her hands to try and pull the vines away.

The struggling just aggravates the vines further, and they slide up to trap Allura and Lance’s calves and knees. Lance lets out a panicked, high-pitched noise.

“Let them go!” Keith demands, marching forward to stare down the Seelie Queen. She doesn’t flinch, only looks up with her golden eyes crinkled around the edges thanks to the amused smile she bears. Her apathy only aggravates Keith further. “They did nothing wrong.”

“On the contrary,” she says, her voice light as ever. “I hear all from the bugs and the birds and the branches. Justice for murder will not go unseen.”

“What is she talking about?” Lance winces as the vines creeping up his body reach his waist. “We didn’t kill anything!”

Allura realizes it first. “Lance, the bugs you accidentally crushed when you tripped into the tree!”

“Oh c’mon, really? That was an accident!”

The vines don’t seem to think so. In fact they seem to speed up, curling around Lance and Allura’s torsos now as they continue to struggle.

“He said it was an accident!” Keith turns back to the Seelie Queen, bordering on desperate now. As agreed, he had brought no weapons so he had nothing to cut the vines with, and a fat lot of good yanking at them had done. There was nothing Keith could do to help except somehow convince the Queen to let them go.

The Queen inclines her head, as if contemplating. “Very well, Paladin. I will give you a chance. Play a game with me, and I will let you all leave.”

“What kind of game?”

“Keith, no, remember what Allura said,” Lance warns, tilting his chin up as the vines curl around his shoulders. “The Seelie are tricksters, you can never trust one!”

“Lance is right,” Allura grunts. “Don’t do it, Keith.”

Keith can’t stand it, watching the two of the people he cares about most in the universe being strangled before his eyes because of some stupid bugs. He doesn’t even hesitate as he turns back to the Queen. “I’ll play.”

The Queen lights up. “Excellent!”

“Keith,” Lance warns, but his voice is strangled as he tries to get air into his lungs. The vines are constricting his entire body now, leaving only his head and shoulders exposed, save for the thick cords that bind his throat. Allura is no better, tilting her chin upwards as if that will somehow ease her air flow.

“What do I have to do?” Keith asks.

“It’s simple really.” The Queen tuts. “All I ask for is a kiss.”

Well. That is not what he expected. “A kiss?”

“Not for me, silly paladin,” the Queen chides, her lips sliding into a smirk. “A kiss for the one your heart most desires.”

Oh.

_ Oh. _

_ Oh no.  _

“We’re doomed,” someone - probably Lance - says from behind him but Keith’s not listening.

“There’s no one my heart desires!” he tries to argue, but the Queen simply raises an eyebrow.

“Are you sure? No one for whom your heart beats? No one for whom you yearn more painfully for than your own mother?”

“Surely, that's… enough!” Allura coughs out, but the vines only tighten around her.

“The Seelies see all,” the Queen continues. “We do not tolerate lies and deceit in this court. I see your deceit, Paladin. I see you hide behind lies and false feelings. I see you deceive your desired. I see you deceive yourself.”

Keith flinches, nails biting into the flesh of his palm as he clenches his fist. She’s right, of course. Keith  _ has  _ been lying to himself. Even in the beginning he had built walls around his heart, not allowing himself to feel the way he did. They were in the middle of a war; he doesn’t have time to fraternize while innocents were dying. So he lied, he lied to himself, and he lied to his friends.

But… the Seelie Queen saw right through him. And now she’s forcing him to tear down his walls with his fingernails else see his friends dead. Keith faces his bound friends again, biting his bottom as if the pain of his flesh could overcome the pain in his mind. This… this was not how he had planned on telling him, if at all, but if he didn’t do this… if he didn’t play this game, then they would all be dead.

Keith thinks this must be karma for something. Leaving Voltron so he can join the Blade of Marmora. Abandoning his friends, even though he did it to protect them from himself. Spending two years on a space whale, even if for them it was only a few days. Keith could pick from a number of different reasons why this is happening to him. He’s done so many things in his life that he regrets, but none have landed him in a position as precarious as this. He’d rather fight a hundred Galra solo right now.

Keith grits his teeth harder, glaring at the ground and willing it to spontaneously ignite. 

“C’mon, Keith!” Lance shouts as loud as he can. “Just kiss Allura and be done with it.”

Keith closes his eyes, clenches his fist tighter.

“Why… on Altea… would Keith… desire me?” Allura wheezes.

“I see the way he… looks at you…” Lance grimaces. “Just get it… over with.”

“Listen to your friends, young paladin,” the Queen sing-songs. “It won’t be long now before the vines choke every last breath from their lungs.”

Keith grits his teeth. “Quiznack,” he says, and then he’s striding forward. Lance’s eyes are half-closed, all of his concentration going into sucking air into his body, but he’s still conscious enough to register that Keith is approaching him. His eyes widen slightly, but that is the only indicator he can give to express his surprise. Keith is a man on a mission, his expression wary but determined as he finally stops walking, close enough to feel Lance’s short breath in his face.

“This doesn’t mean anything,” Keith says, trying to convince Lance but mostly just trying to convince himself. He doesn’t give Lance time to choke out any words, because then he’s cupping Lance’s face in his hands and drawing him up to press their lips together.

Immediately, heat licks against his skin, burning his lips where they meet Lance’s. His mind goes blank, consumed only with the sent of earth, dew, and moisturizer. It was only supposed to be a peck on the lips, enough to win the Seelie Queen’s game and free his friends, but he finds himself glued to Lance, releasing him only long enough to take a breath before diving back in for more. 

He doesn’t even realize the vines have given way until arms are wrapping around his middle, sliding up his back and fisting into his hair. Lance moves his lips against him in a heated kiss of his own. He teases at Keith’s upper lip, nipping at it and then his bottom lip, eliciting a half-resisted groan from Keith. He tries to pull away for a breath but Lance follows, tilting his head and pulling him in for a new angle and another kiss, and then another, and another, and—

The sound of laughter brings Keith back to his senses, and he rips himself away from Lance. He backs away, hand over his mouth but somehow unable to tear his gaze away from the other boy He stands right where Keith had left him, arms still outstretched like they longed to have something to hold. The vines are receding back into the ground, the only evidence they had been there at all being telltale spots of dirt on Lance’s paladin armor and the bruising around his throat.

Lance can’t take his eyes off Keith, lips red and kiss-bruised, slightly open like he can’t believe what just happened, that  _ he  _ is the one Keith’s heart desires most.

Keith looks away.

“Excellent!” the Seelie Queen is laughing, clapping her hands together and giggling excitedly. “What a fun game!”

“I did what you asked,” Keith mumbles, unable to meet anyone’s gaze, and he can feel all of them on him. “Now let us go.”

“I suppose you did,” The Queen hums, laughter still in her voice, and waves her hand. The vine gate disappears back into the ground as before, the entrance to the path back to their pod appearing as the leaves pull themselves away. “I look forward to see you all again.”

Keith takes long strides towards the gate, slowing down long enough to glance at Lance as he passes. Lance is watching him closely, his lips slightly parted, eyes an impossible blue as they stare him down. Keith averts his eyes and continues walking.

Allura, Lance, and Keith pass through the gates, the vines regrowing themselves behind them. The atmosphere between them is silent as Keith takes the lead back to their pod. Not even Lance is babbling to fill the silence, lost in his own thoughts. Keith is both relieved and distressed by Lance’s silence; it’s eerily out of character for him, and makes Keith worry that he might have just ruined what growing friendship they had. Yet, at the same time he is grateful for it, grateful for the time and space inside his own head so he can stew in his own humiliation in peace.

* * *

Keith avoids Lance like the plague over the next few days. He rejects the invitation to return to Seelia with Lance and Allura to hash out the Seelie coalition contract, leaves a room when Lance enters it, and avoids his frequent haunts in the castle. He makes exceptions for training sessions, during which he insists on partnering with anyone  _ but  _ Lance, and Voltron-forming, but everyone can tell that something happened on Seelia beyond coalition negotiations. Shiro approaches Keith about it, but even he is turned away, though not without the promise of an open ear and a shoulder to lean on.

Lance doesn’t like being avoided. He does his best to pin Keith down several times, sometimes even literally, after a particularly tough training session.

“Keith, c’mon, talk to me,” Lance practically pleads, one knee on Keith’s stomach and his hands pinning Keith’s wrists to the cold training room floor. Keith hates how impressed he is with how Lance’s combat skills have improved since he’d been away.

“Nothing to talk about,” Keith repeats, the same thing he’s said every time Lance corners him for more than two sentences.

“Bullshi-!”

Keith brings his knee up and knocks Lance off balance, reversing their positions so that Lance is pressed to the floor.  _ This is not the way Keith had imagined having Lance beneath him. _ The thought comes to his mind unbidden, so he beats it back with a metal bat and a tight grimace.

“Keith,” Lance whispers his name so softly that Keith actually has to bite his tongue to keep from giving in to the temptation to just close the few inches of space between them. But Keith has already pushed himself onto Lance once, even if it was to save his life. Keith doesn’t feel like he has the right, no, the  _ privilege  _ of kissing Lance again.

Keith releases Lance and is out the door before the other boy can even sit up.

Shiro tries to have an intervention, but Keith hasn’t told him what happened on Seelia, and as far as he knows, neither have Allura or Lance. Hunk, Keith is pretty sure, knows, based on the sympathetic looks directed his way across the dinner table (and simply by knowing that Lance tells Hunk everything). Pidge, Keith doesn’t know. Keith never knows when it comes to Pidge.

That is resolved when a harsh knocking, followed by the slapping of feet outside his door underneath harsh stage-whispers of Pidge’s name, comes from his bedroom door one late night after the lights in the castle have dimmed for the evening. Keith, despite his better judgement, opens the door to Lance, still in his day clothes, glaring down the hallway before turning to face Keith.

“Kei--”

Keith tries to slide the door shut but Lance is fast, slipping into the room under Keith’s arm.

“Keith, buddy, we need to talk,” Lance says firmly. “And I’m not leaving until we do.”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Keith insists, trying to shove him back towards the door. But Lance is quick, and much stronger than Keith gave him credit for. He holds his ground firmly, arms crossed and eyes firm. It’s Lance’s Serious Face. Keith is weak for that face. “I said it didn’t mean anything and it didn’t so there’s nothing to talk about.”

“It doesn’t mean anything?” Lance repeats Keith’s words back at him, eyes narrow and hands on his hips as he assumes what Keith imagines is supposed to be an intimidating stance. “Doesn’t mean anything, my ass! The whole  _ point  _ of the queen’s so-called ‘game’ was about your heart’s desire!”

“So what.”

“ _ So,  _ it means that even if you  _ say  _ it didn’t mean anything, she wouldn’t have let us go if you  _ hadn’t meant it.” _

Keith tucks his head closer in on himself, stuffing his hands into his pockets and hoping a black hole will open in the middle of his room and just suck him out into space without his flight suit. He is  _ really  _ not ready to have this conversation.

“We kissed, Keith,” Lance continues, his tone a little softer now. “And even if you didn’t mean it… I did.”

Keith’s eyes widen, looking up to take in the boy standing opposite him. Lance is tugging on his fingers, the hem of his shirt, the ends of his hair, nervously fidgeting as his eyes roam around the room, land on Keith for a moment before darting away again.

Keith might not be the brightest when it comes to social cues. He doesn’t always know when someone’s intentions are well-meaning or thinly-veiled passive aggressive jabs. He’d always had trouble connecting with people, a byproduct of being shuffled from foster home to foster home throughout most of his youth.

He does know enough, however, to correctly guess that Lance has just confessed to him.

“You… did?”

Lance nods. “The Seelie Queen wasn’t just talking about your deception,” he near-whispers. “She was talking about mine too. Lie by omission I guess, but still a lie. And now...” Lance releases a breathy chuckle. “I think I -- we owe each other the truth.”

Keith swallows. “Since when?”

Lance shrugs. “Who can say? The first time I saw you in the simulator at the Garrison? Waking up from a coma, shooting Sendak’s arm off, and you being the first person I see? You don’t just like someone after a single interaction.”

“But… I thought you…”

“You thought I hated you,” Lance sighs like he’s all too aware. “For the longest time I didn’t know what I felt. I guess I just mistook my heart beating faster whenever I saw you for jealousy rather than the crush I now realize it was.” Lance bites his lip. “And when you didn’t remember me, after we found Shiro… I realized it was easier to bury my feelings. At least with the rivalry I’d get your attention.”

Keith’s brain is short circuiting as he flips through his memories of Lance like an old film reel. If before that reel was in black and white, now it was in full color, the edges more crisp and clear than ever before. Every petty fight, every jab, joke, and jest… was just Lance trying to get Keith to look at him. But Lance couldn’t know what he was doing, every time that Keith looked at him, it was just a shot of dopamine into Keith’s heart. Every time he looked, he found it harder and harder to look away until…

“The bonding moment,” Keith whispers, the tension leaking from his body. “That’s when I realized that you weren’t actually the self-righteous narcissist I thought you were.”

“Thank... you?” Lance chuckles. “I… think that’s a compliment.” 

“Coming from me?” Keith laughs too. “It’s a compliment.”

He’s aware of Lance slowly easing his way across the room towards him, moving a step forward with every breath.

“When I was away,” Keith continues, hyper aware of Lance’s closing proximity. “When I was with the Blade, and on the space whale with my mom… I missed you. I missed your stupid face, your stupid funny jokes, your stupid hair, your stupid smile… I just…”

Lance is right in front of Keith now, their chests barely brushing as they inhale steadily. Keith is suddenly very aware of his newfound height, standing just an inch or two above Lance but feeling smaller than one of the space mice.

“Keith,” Lance whispers.

“Lance,” Keith replies.

“Kiss me again, like you mean it this time.”

Keith searches Lance’s face for hesitation, nerves, or anything that could clue him in to Lance’s emotions. But all he gets is a soft longing, eyes roving from Keiths eyes to his lips to his nose to his chin. The silence stretches onward, Lance being incredibly patient.

Finally, Keith raises his hand to cup Lance’s jaw, tangling his fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck and tracing his thumb across the line of his cheekbone. Lance’s skin is impossibly soft, barely a blemish to mar his face. Lance’s eyes are already sliding closed, tilting his face upward so enticingly that Keith just cannot hold back anymore.

Lance’s lips are just as warm as they had been before. Keith inhales sharply through his nose at the sensation, taking with it the scent of Lance’s face wash. He does barely more than gently massage Lance’s lips with his own, nervous to return to the frantic kissing in the Seelie Court lest he chace Lance away. But Lance’s thoughts seem to be the complete opposite. He kisses back, hands coming up to grip at Keith’s waist and pull them flush together. Keith embarrassingly moans at that, Lance smiling into the kiss.

Keith loves that he can feel Lance’s smile. 

He finally pulls back, releasing Lance with a small smack. Peeling his eyes open, Keith takes a moment to fully taken in Lance’s Just Got Kissed Face. It’s flushed with red all the way down to Lance’s neck. Eyes half-lidded, lips red and still slightly puckered as small puffs of breath pass between them. Keith decides he likes this face a lot more than Lance’s Serious Face.

Lance opens his eyes completely again, lips pulled back into a smile. “Mmm, I dunno, I don’t think you meant it that time. Try again.”

Keith smirks. “Careful what you wish for.”

“I know exactly what I’m getting out of this,” Lance snarks back. “Clear communication and a smokin’ hot alien boyfriend.”

At the b-word, Keith’s eyes widen, blinking down at Lance.

A beat, and then Lance realizes what he just said. His pupils shrink, face turning impossibly redder as he tries to backtrack, rambling on the way he does when he’s nervous. “U-unless you don’t wanna be my smokin’ hot alien boyfriend, I don’t wanna pressure you or anything I just assumed that y’know with the whole mutual confessing thing that this is the next logical thing but if you just wanna be like, making-out buddies I can totally--”

Keith leans down again to seal Lance’s mouth with a chaste kiss. “You think I’m smokin’ hot?” he laughs against Lance’s lips.

Lance snorts. “That’s what you got out of that?”

“Only the important things,” Keith murmurs, and pulls Lance into another kiss. Now he doesn’t waste time pressing the flat of his tongue against Lance’s bottom lip, sliding into his hot mouth when he opens up with a soft sigh. The wet heat of Lance’s mouth does wonders for Keith’s mood, Lance’s grip on Keith’s waist siphoning away the last of the tension in his muscles, Lance’s whole presence making Keith’s body ignite like he had fallen into the sun.

Lance presses hungrily into Keith, forcing them to stumble backward until Keith’s back hits the wall with a grunt. Lance breaks from Keith’s mouth to kiss down his jaw and lick the column of his throat. Keith presses his head against the wall to allow him better access, his hands finding the hem of Lance’s shirt and slipping underneath. Lance shivers when Keith’s cold fingertips explore what they had found there, but he doesn’t pull away. 

“You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this,” Lance pants into the junction of Keith’s neck and shoulder.

“I can hazard a guess,” Keith breathes, and guides Lance’s face back up for another kiss.

* * *

Keith thinks this must be karma for something. Going to rescue Shiro that night back on Earth. Learning teamwork and fighting back to back with the first true friends he’s ever had in his life. Falling in love with the most infuriatingly kind and passionate boy in the whole universe.

Take your pick.

It doesn’t matter anyway.

Karma’s Keith’s bitch.

**Author's Note:**

> Comment = birthday wish to Ivy ^^


End file.
